Thousands blockade highway over spate of rape incidents

GIRL, 9, RAPED, AND 6 STUDENTS SEXUALLY ABUSED IN TELANGANA AND ANDHRA PRADESH

Two separate incidents of rape and sexual abuse of minors have rocked the two Telugu states in India. Police in Hyderabad have arrested a teacher at a religious school on charges of sexually abusing six of his students, while thousands of people took to the streets in the Dachepally town of Guntur district from Wednesday night in protest after a 50-year-old rickshawpuller raped a 9-year-old girl.

The Dachepally girl was admitted at a government hospital in Guntur with injuries and doctors had to stitch her up.

Spontaneous reaction

As news of the rape spread, thousands of people came out on the roads last night.

Large crowds blockaded traffic on the Addanki-Narkatpally highway, demanding the immediate arrest of the suspect.

On Thursday more people marched in a massive procession demanding quick justice.

In Hyderabad, police arrested a teacher, named Rehan, after the families of six students lodged a complaint at the Asifnagar police station that their children were sexually abused in religious school.

Rehan who was first nabbed by the members of the committee which runs the school and questioned during which he admitted having sexually abused six children over the last three months.

After the arrest the police sent him as well as the victims to a government hospital for medical check-up.

Lured with chocolates

Meanwhile, police said the suspect in the Dachepally case, identified as 50-year-old Subbaiah, lured the girl by offering her chocolates and toffees on Wednesday evening and then took her to an isolated spot and raped her.

Later, he took her back in his rickshaw to a spot near her home after threatening her to keep quiet about the incident.

The bleeding girl fainted after reaching home and it was only after she was rushed to the local hospital that doctors identified it to be a case of rape.

Police said the suspect was absconding and a search was on for him.

An angry crowd attacked the suspect’s house and pulled down the structure.

They also caught hold of his son but police intervened and rescued him.

As emotions were running high, an additional police contingent was rushed to the town from neighbouring areas and a vigil was being maintained.

The crowd remained on the roads throughout Wednesday night, and yesterday morning, as the town observed a total shut down in protest against the incident. The angry people, many of them women shouted slogans against the rapist, demanding that he should be hanged on the crossroads.

“Hand him over to us and we will do the justice”, the angry mob shouted.

Preventive measures

Guntur district collector Kona Sasidhar visited the hospital and met the girl and her family members. “It was a very unfortunate and highly condemnable incidents. The administration will take stringent action against the culprit”, he said, adding that a manhunt was launched to nab him at the earliest.

He also called a meeting of the top officials of child and women welfare, police and other departments to take preventive measures to stop any such incidents in future.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed his anger over the incident and directed the police to take stringent action against the culprit. “There is no question of tolerating such heinous crimes”, he said adding that a cash reward will be given to the people who help in his arrest. He also directed the ministers and the Chairperson of the state Women’s Commission to meet the affected family.